BY JIM DONALDSON
Journal Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Patriots played in the first pro sporting event held in the Bay Area after the devastating earthquake of October 17, 1989 -- taking on the 49ers five days later at Stanford Stadium, in Palo Alto, because Candlestick Park had been damaged by the 'quake.

Niners' quarterback Joe Montana had been in the stadium at the time, attending the World Series game between the Giants and A's, along with his wife, Jennifer, and their two-week-old baby.

He talked about the harrowing experience a couple of days later in a conference call with New England writers.

"It started out as a low rumble," he said. "It felt and sounded like when people in the stands start stamping their feet because they're anxious for the game to get going. All of a sudden, the whole thing started to shake -- hard. Then we knew what was happening.

"When Jennifer and I looked up, we were underneath the overhang of the upper deck and it was moving. Some people came running out, and I thought: 'Oh, God, they're going to stampede the pace.' The only ting we could think of was to get somewhere we'd be safe if it fell.

"It's not like a storm, where you get a warning. It happens out of the blue. It was a great day for a game. The weather was beautiful."